1. Field of Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and devices for performing biopsy assisted with an aspiration device. More particularly, aspects of the current invention relate to methods and devices for performing biopsy with a fine needle aspiration device usable in a confined space.
2. Description of Related Art
Biopsy devices for fine needle aspiration, such as the one illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B, are well known in the art and are useful for obtaining cytologic specimens for examination, for example, to confirm the diagnosis of a suspected medical condition. Typical specimens collected include liquids or cell samples. Such devices are generally useful in sampling tissue from the breast, the head and neck, lymph nodes, and for some gynecologic conditions. Other applications include lung, prostate, and other soft tissue biopsies.
Generally, biopsy instruments of this type extract samples of tissue through a small needle in the range of 25-18 gauge. The needle is inserted, typically through the skin, so that the tip of the needle is in the suspect tissue. A vacuum force is sometimes applied by withdrawing the plunger of a standard syringe attached to the needle, while the needle is slightly moved a plurality of times in the tissue, utilizing an up-and-down motion. This procedure draws up a small amount of tissue fluid, together with loose cells, into the needle with some concurrent spillage up into the nozzle of the syringe. The needle is then removed from the tumor and, if there is still vacuum present, the syringe is detached from it. Air is then drawn up into the syringe, the needle is reattached, and the small amount of fluid with cells therein in the needle is forced out of the needle by operation of the syringe and blown onto a microscope slide. The amount of fluid, which is generally small, is then smeared against another slide to produce a film on both slides, and then the film is air dried and appropriately stained. Typically, an accurate analysis of the fluid can be made from a microscopic examination of these slides by an expert.
FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate a conventional fine needle aspiration device. In FIGS. 1A-1B, the stylet 20 tip is illustrated as being located inside the cannula tip 40. FIGS. 1A-1B also illustrate the cannula hub 60 that is molded to, glued to, or otherwise formed together with, the cannula 50, and the stylet hub 80 which is also molded to, glued to, or otherwise formed together with, the stylet. In operation, once both the stylet tip 20 and the cannula tip 40 are inserted adjacent to or in suspect regions of the body of the patient, the stylet tip 20 may be removed and a syringe may be provided in place of the stylet hub 80 to aspirate liquid or cellular samples into the cannula 50.
A Computerized Tomography (CT) gantry is a cylindrical device that is part of a CT scanner, houses the components necessary to produce and detect x-rays to create a CT image, and through which a patient may be placed in order to perform CT imaging of the body of the patient. The x-ray tube and detectors are positioned opposite each other and rotate around the gantry aperture. Utilizing CT imaging to determine a biopsy location and then confirm needle placement prior to biopsy is one method by which clinicians can verify the correct site has been biopsied via fine needle aspiration. However, the diameter of most gantries, generally barely allows patients to fit within them. As such, performing a task such as a fine needle aspiration biopsy, for example, presents difficulties due to the fact that typical biopsy devices do not fit within the restricted space between the patient's body and the inner diameter of a CT gantry.
There is a need in the art, therefore, for fine needle aspiration biopsy devices capable of being properly operated within the restricted space of a CT gantry.